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Student Travels 6 Hours to Sharpen Political Arsenal

October 3, 2013 | By Anna Swick

You care about your cause, but do you have the tools to make change happen?

Scott Gibbons of Blowing Rock, North Carolina now has the knowledge and tools after traveling six-and-a-half hours to attend the Leadership Institute’s Tactical Warfare Workshop last month – with more than 150 other conservatives

Scott traveled to Arlington, VA to add to his political arsenal to fight the left.

Students began their first lecture on Tuesday, September 17 with a crash course on the history of the left from Chris Doss, LI’s Deputy Director of Grassroots Programs.

Chris explained to students that understanding history will help them strategize more effectively. Attendees then learned Saul Alinksy’s thirteen “rules for radicals” to better understand what to expect from the left.

“Applying Alinksy’s Rules for Radicals and Sun Tzu’s Art of War to the political battlefield was brilliant,” said Joshua Parrish, southeast regional director for Young Americans for Liberty.

Chris wrapped up his lecture by giving students six specific lessons for conservatives trying to advance their cause.

Day two of the Tactical Warfare lecture was equally engaging.

Greg Mourad, vice president of legislation at the National Right to Work Committee, taught attendees about “kill zones” and the finer points of pushing a bill through Congress.

“I loved how he used politics to relate to the art of war,” said Robert Kenyon.

Joshua Parrish added, “I really enjoyed getting an inside look at the winning legislative techniques used by the Right to Work Committee.”

“The more tools you have in a tactical toolset, the bigger your vision is going to become,” Kirk explained as he took attendees through various political battle maneuvers.

Attendees learned various reasons to avoid battle and tactics for maneuvering once engaged in battle. Kirk encouraged conservatives in attendance to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as well as those of their enemies.

At the end, Greg Mourad said, “This was a great LI training. Kirk Shelley’s lecture on tactics is just incredible material that’s extremely helpful for anyone involved in the political process.”

Attendee Scott Gibbons shared that he plans to apply his new tactical tools not only to political activities but also to “broader organizations and institutions.”

To see photos of the week-long training, check out the pictures on Facebook here.

Activists can also hone their skills at the Leadership Institute’s Debate Workshop on Friday, November 8—go here to learn more and sign up. To see additional trainings LI offers, go here to see the upcoming schedule.